This invention relates generally to techniques for routing traffic.
A large amount of traffic information is available from a variety of sources. This information may be used by drivers to attempt to select from among a variety of potential routes to travel to a given destination. However, this traffic information tends to become outdated, often by the time the operator reaches locations that were expected to be either congestion-free or congested. Moreover, traffic patterns are dynamic. For example, a problem in one area may cause a large number of drivers to use an alternative route, creating a problem in another area.
Thus, existing techniques for disseminating traffic information (e.g., radio and television broadcasts) are largely ineffective in part because they do not account for the dynamic nature of traffic patterns. Existing techniques may cause some problems because drivers alerted to a problem in one area may cause congestion in another area, even after the problem that originally caused the diversion is long past.
Other factors that tend to lessen the effectiveness of existing traffic information techniques are the lack of sufficient detail. Also, there are usually not enough drivers that react to the information. Finally, it is believed that computation is important to assess each driver's impact and to present rational alternatives.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a traffic routing system that is capable of adapting to the dynamic nature of traffic patterns.